Arts & Culture

All over the country on Thursday, fireworks will light up the sky. In many places, those fireworks will come with a patriotic soundtrack — one that wouldn't be complete without "The Star-Spangled Banner." The song officially became America's national anthem in 1931, but it's been around since the early 19th century.

The retiring head of the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau won’t be retired for long. Karen Miller Porter has been named executive director of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra.

She tells the Messenger-Inquirer she wasn’t looking for another job when she decided to leave the CVB, but the opportunity was “too good to pass up.” Porter says the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra is one of the best-run symphonies at a time when other symphonies are struggling.

Porter will start work for the OSO August 1, the same date as her official retirement from the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

A former chairman of the International Bluegrass Music Museum’s board believes attendance to last week’s River of Music Party will approach 25,000. That would be up from last year’s ROMP attendance of 21,000.

Terry Woodward told the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer that he didn’t hear a single negative comment about the bluegrass music festival at Yellow Creek Park, adding that he couldn’t “imagine it being any better than this.”

ROMP was named the event of the year for 2012 by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

An estimated 90 percent of the Joe Downing paintings housed at the estate of Jerry Baker are not seriously damaged. But WKU President Gary Ransdell told faculty and staff in an email this morning that nearly all of the paintings sustained smoke damage.

Dr. Ransdell said WKU Planning, Design, and Construction staff members are working with restoration experts and insurance professionals to start the recovery process for the museum building and the art.

Downing is a Hart County native who is one of only a few Americans that have an exhibit shown at the Louvre in Paris, France. He lived most of his adult life in France and was inspired by the natural beauty of the French countryside. He died in 2007 at his country home in the town of Menerbes.

WKU Art Department Head Brent Oglesbee says Downing’s work stands out because of its unique style, and use of color and pattern.

Art lovers across the region are holding their breath and hoping that paintings damaged in a Bowling Green fire can be salvaged. The fire Thursday morning at the Downing Museum at Baker Arboretum led to the evacuation of the world's largest collection of paintings by the late artist and Hart County native Joe Downing.

Art restoration experts will now have to inspect the damaged paintings and recommend what, if anything, can be done to save the pieces that were damaged.

WKU President Gary Ransdell says the fact that over 90 percent of the art in the building was removed before it was damaged is a testament to the staff members on the scene.

"They were actually going into a building that was on fire to get artwork out. It was pretty amazing to see multiple staffs, including WKU staff, coming together to avoid what could have been a tragic, tragic, situation," said Dr. Ransdell."

The WKU President says the Downing Museum art is now being housed at the school's campus.

"All of the artwork has now been transported to the Kentucky Building, and is in storage and is protected. The art that has been damaged by smoke and water is over in the services supply building where the art restoration experts will look them over and determine what needs to be done immediately, and what needs to take place over time.

Efforts are underway to determine what can be done to salvage artwork damaged by the Thursday morning fire at Bowling Green's Downing Museum at the Baker Arboretum.

The museum houses numerous paintings by the late artist and Hart County native Joe Downing. WKU President Gary Ransdell says the Downing Museum art is now at different parts of the school's campus.

"All of the artwork has now been transported to the Kentucky Building, and is in storage and is protected," said Dr. Ransdell. "The art that has been damaged by smoke and water is over in the services supply building where the art restoration experts will look them over and determine what needs to be done immediately, and what needs to take place over time. Only a few pieces were damaged by the actual fire--I'm guessing maybe 30 or 40 pieces."

The fire started before 7 a.m. and was discovered by estate staff members. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Officials on the scene of the blaze this morning told WKU Public Radio the fire was likely started by an electrical malfunction or a lightning strike.

The Kentucky Historical Society is forming a new relationship with the Smithsonian Institution.

Historical Society officials say the affiliation will provide opportunities for innovative collaborations and will help secure the loan of Smithsonian artifacts and traveling exhibitions. The affiliation is to be announced on Saturday evening by Harold A. Closter, director of Smithsonian Affiliations.

That announcement will be part of the Historical Society's annual Boone Day celebration.

There are currently 177 Smithsonian affiliates in 42 states, Puerto Rico and Panama. Affiliation provides enhanced access to the more than 136 million objects in the Smithsonian collections, as well as the knowledge and experience of the scholars and experts at the Smithsonian.

Established in 1996, Smithsonian Affiliations is a national outreach program that develops partnerships with museums and educational and cultural organizations.

Dr. Ching-Yi Lin of Bowling Green received a Jefferson Award Tuesday in Washington.

Dr. Lin, a world-class violinist, was recognized for sharing her talent within the community by serving as the director of the WKU pre-college strings program. That program has about 70 children between four and 18 years old studying the violin, viola and cello. Besides giving performances at area schools, her students also perform at local retirement homes, charities and businesses.

The Jefferson Award is given to exceptional Americans who strive to make their communities better and stronger. Recipients are nominated from throughout the country.

Besides leading the pre-college strings program, Dr. Lin is assistant professor of violin at WKU and Concertmaster of the Symphony at WKU.

When I first stumbled across the photographs of Bobbie Hanvey, I thought I had found an undiscovered master — perhaps another sort of Vivian Maier. My heart skipped a beat. But when I dug a little deeper, I realized that he was quite well-known in Northern Ireland, where he has been documenting the culture in photos and audio for more than 35 years. Only recently, however, has his work become available to a wider audience.

Governor Steve Beshear has named a longtime tourism veteran to oversee the part of his cabinet dealing with travel and the arts.

Bob Stewart is a familiar face in state government, having worked for 11 years as commissioner of travel from 1992 to 2003.

And now, he'll be the new Tourism Secretary, having been appointed by Beshear to fill the post vacated by Marcheta Sparrow, who’s retiring.

Stewart is starting work for his fourth governor, having previously served under Brereton Jones, Martha Layne Collins and Julian Carroll. He's either played roles in tourism or worked as an executive assistant for those governors.